DANIA BEACH NATIVE RETURNS AS CHIEF OF HOMETOWN DISTRICT

A BSO veteran, who began his law enforcement career with the former Dania Police Department 15 years ago, is returning as chief of BSO’s Dania Beach District 2.

Chief Bryan Cowart has been selected by City Manager Ivan Pato to head the district, succeeding Chief Robert Anton who is retiring at the end of the year. Cowart will be formally introduced to the community at the city commission’s December 11th meeting. He will begin the transition this month and will formally take command January 1st.

Chief Cowart, 36, has been the chief of BSO District 6 for the past 19 months, overseeing court security, court deputies and court liaison for the county courthouses. He began his law enforcement career as a road patrol officer with the Dania Police Department in July 1986. It was there that he was promoted to detective. He joined the Broward Sheriff’s Office when the two agencies merged in October 1988.

Chief Cowart’s BSO career has included five years in criminal investigations during which he was promoted to lieutenant. He supervised abuse and neglect cases, bomb and arson investigations, economic crimes and property crimes. He also served as a field training officer and a liaison with the FBI Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force.

Chief Cowart was born and raised in Dania Beach. His father, Robert, was a Dania police officer for nearly ten years. He and his wife, Bernadette, their sons Christopher and Brandon, and his mother, Nella, still call Dania Beach home. Like his children, Chief Cowart attended Dania Elementary and Olsen Middle School. He graduated from South Broward High School, attended Broward Community College, and is a graduate of the Criminal Justice Executive Leadership Program, a partnership of the Broward Sheriff's Office and Florida Atlantic University.

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